Essential Books and Recommended Reading

Essential Books

Anatomy & Physiology

Welcome to my essential anatomy & physiology reading collection. On this page you will find links to
books I recommend, which you can purchase directly from Fishpond online
bookstore in New Zealand and Australia, or from Amazon in North America.

In my experience, once on these sites it pays to search for other copies of the same book, to help you find the best deal.

Black's Medical Dictionary

Black's was my first medical dictionary, a 1973 edition bought in a second-hand
shop. While it is not on a technical par with Stedman's or Dorland's or
as exhaustive, I still find Black's useful for its simpler explanations
and clarity. Of course, 40 years on, it's going to be better.

Written around 150 years ago, Gray's Anatomy is still regarded as the quintessential anatomy
text, still used by nurses and doctors today. His explanations are very
technical but all-encompassing. The diagrams, especially in the colour versions,
are outstanding. Now, there is also a website with free downloadable versions of
Gray's Anatomy, but personally I still like books, plus 700-odd pages is a few
too many to print.

These colouring books are more for educational purposes, as many people learn better
by doing the colouring themselves, rather than reading pages of text and looking
at pictures. If this is you, then here's your book.

This includes physiology (function) as well
as anatomy (structure) and was written for modern nursing schools. I used it as
a text in my naturopathic training and I always found it clear and readable.
Maybe I'm a geek, but I read this 1100 page one cover-to-cover too, just after
finishing doing the same with Guyton.

Have I used the words, "mind-blowing" yet? You think that everyone's intestines
run in the same direction, or that everyone has the same number of parathyroid
glands? Guess again. We are more unique than you'd ever imagine. What you find
in most anatomy books is just the "most common" anatomy observed, not the
"only"
anatomy. In some cases, "most common" only applies to 20% of people! Williams profoundly shatters any illusions that we all look or function
the same on the inside.

Search Healthy Being website...

Disclaimer: The information presented on this site has been provided for educational purposes only. While we consider that it is imperative for each person to take full responsibility for their own healing, this should also be under the strict guidance of a properly trained professional who fully understands the Healing Crisis as partially explained on this site.